Abandoned UK motorway service station is being turned into £8m soft play centre with trampolines, swings & climbing wall

The Sun

3 days ago

AN abandoned UK motorway service station is getting a new lease of life - as an £8million soft play paradise.
The disused rest stop is being transformed into a massive family attraction packed with trampolines, swings, slides and a giant climbing wall.
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A long-abandoned motorway service station near the M48 is getting a jaw-dropping makeover – into a huge soft play and exercise wonderland for disabled children.
The £8 million centre, a UK first, will boast wheelchair-accessible climbing walls, trampolines, sensory rooms and even a two-storey soft play zone – all designed so every child can join the fun.
Where did the money come from?
The transformation of the former Aust Services, just outside Bristol, is being driven by local charity Gympanzees, and they've just smashed a huge fundraising milestone.
Over 1,100 generous backers have chipped in to raise more than £255,000 in the latest crowdfunding push – edging the total to a whopping £5.4 million so far.
And with builders set to move in this August, work is finally starting on the dream project that's been years in the making.
The charity shared their excitement online, writing: 'We're building it. Thanks to your incredible support, our Crowdfunder has officially ended with over £255,000 raised!'
They added: 'This milestone means we can begin construction on the UK's first fully inclusive exercise and leisure facility for disabled children and young people!'
Where did the idea come from?
Once complete, the centre will welcome over 200,000 children and families a year, offering spaces like a music room, party room, therapeutic swings, a cafe and Changing Places toilets.
Founder Stephanie Wheen, who first dreamed up the idea in 2016, said: 'After feeling like a pipe dream at times, it now feels incredibly real. Our permanent home is closer than ever.'
Until now, Gympanzees has run pop-up events around Bristol, attracting 28,000 visitors and helping more than 2,800 families and schools.
I bought two splash pads from Temu and TikTok shop for £9.99 for my kids to compare - one of them is HUGE for the price
In just a couple of years, the old motorway stop will be buzzing again.
But instead of lorries, it's with laughter.
What was it like before?
Before its glow-up, the Aust Services was a ghost town stop-off — tired, dated and long forgotten by most drivers.
Once a bustling pit stop on the old Severn Bridge route, the site had fallen into disrepair, with boarded-up buildings, crumbling walls and overgrown forecourts.
Locals dubbed it a 'motorway relic', with only memories of greasy fry-ups and faded signage hinting at its past life.
Now, it's being transformed from derelict dump to dream destination for thousands of children and families.
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